Club Highlight: Back Mountain Surf

We sat down with Ryan Rowe from Back Mountain Surf to learn more about how Surf has helped their club, players, coaches, and administrators with their upcoming season goals:

What is the greatest benefit to Back Mountain Surf being part of the Surf Nation community?

The greatest benefit of Back Mountain Surf being part of the Surf Nation community is the networking and guest play opportunities it creates. We’re a fairly rural club in Northeastern Pennsylvania, so having built-in access to other Surf clubs across the country has been a game-changer. The ability for our players to both invite and be invited to train and compete with other clubs dramatically expands their exposure and development opportunities.

We’ve already seen players selected for Surf Select, including opportunities to play in England. In just the past year, our teams have shared the field with players from Matchfit Academy (New Jersey), Houston Surf (Texas), Livingston Surf (California), and Lincoln Surf (Nebraska).

Beyond the games themselves, the connections last. Players immediately connect on Instagram, follow each other’s journeys, and build relationships that reinforce motivation and confidence

We’ve always known we have talented, committed players, and with four NCAA head coaches on staff, the development environment has always been strong. What we needed was a gateway to regional, national, and international opportunities. Surf Nation has provided exactly that, accelerating both player growth and the overall profile of our club.

We are about halfway through the Spring season, what are some highlights from this season for your club?

It might be spring season in San Diego, but here in the Back Mountain, there's still plenty of snow on the ground.  One of the biggest highlights so far has been how our teams have embraced the grind of the winter months. While we wait for outdoor fields to open, our players continue competing in local indoor leagues and training consistently. We’re extremely fortunate to have access to outstanding indoor training facilities at Misericordia University and Penn State Wilkes-Barre, which allow us to maintain high standards and keep everyone sharp despite the weather.  It didn’t take much convincing to get families on board for the trip to San Diego for Surf Champions League, leaving behind negative five degree temperatures and landing in sunny 70-degree weather was an easy sell. Our U19 girls team took first in FC Europa's showcase event in Philadelphia this past weekend and are headed to the Jefferson Cup in a few weeks. Most of our other teams have been participating in indoor tournaments and leagues, very much looking forward to getting outside.

After making the finals in the Surf Nation Champions League this year, what did that experience mean for Back Mountain Surf, and how did it impact your players and staff?

As I mentioned before, we’ve always believed in the quality of our players and coaches. This event was about challenging that belief in a real way. We asked our group to fly 2,500 miles west, play on grass fields after not being outdoors since October, and integrate one or two guest players they had never met before. There were plenty of variables, and that was intentional, we wanted to see how they would respond.

The mindset going in was simple: best case, we compete and surprise some people; worst case, we play soccer with friends in beautiful weather at a pristine complex. What we got was a fantastic competitive result and even better exposure.

For the players, one of the biggest impacts came off the field. Our girls had the opportunity to sit and watch some of the top-level ECNL Surf teams, closely analyzing the speed of play, physicality, and decision-making required to compete at that level. Seeing it live helped bridge the gap between aspiration and reality and it made the next level tangible.

For our staff, the run to the finals reinforced that our development model works and that our players can rise to the occasion when pushed outside their comfort zone. Overall, the experience validated our belief in the group, raised standards across the board, and gave both players and coaches a clearer picture of what it takes to compete nationally.